Slack-adjuster.



W. H. SAUVAGE.

SLACK ADJUSTER.

APPLICATION FILED 1A-.25. 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented May 29 NM m flwm NR W. H. SAUVAGE.

SLACK ADJUSTER.

APPLICATION nuzu' IAN-25. 1916.

Patented May 29, 191.7.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIIIIIIIII,IIIIII|&

TJNTTEE gTATFQS PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE, 0F FLUSHING, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GOULD COUPLER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

snnox-nmus'rna.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1911?.

Application filed January 25, 1916. Serial No. 74,186.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE, citizen of the United States, and resident of Flushing, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Slack- Adjusters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic slack adjusters for the brake rigging of railway cars, and in its more intense aspect to the brake rigging adapted to be associated with the truck.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple and practical slack adjuster which will be automatic, reliable and efficient in use and operation. Another object is to provide a slack adjuster of the above general type having few parts which will be cheap to manufacture and in stall.

Other objects will be in part obvious from the annexed drawings and in part indicated in connection therewith by the following analysis of this invention.

This invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of parts and in the unique relations of the members and in the relative proportioning and dispositionthereof, all as more completely outlined herein.

To enable others skilled in the art so fully to comprehend the underlying features thereof that they may embody the same by the numerous modifications in structure and relation contemplated by this invention, drawings depicting a preferred form have been annexed as a part of this disclosure, and in such drawings, like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout all the views, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing such parts of a truck and associated brake rigging as are necessary to understand the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a modification of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a detail view showing one of the parts of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a part of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and more particularly to Fig. 1, wherein is illustrated a car truck of well known type, 6 denotes the truck bolster, on one side of which projects a support 7, to which the upper end of dead lever 8 is adjustable. The lower end of this lever 8 is pivotally connected at 9 to one portion of a two-part telescopic push rod 11. The other part of this push rod 12 is pivotally connected at 13 to the lower end of a live lever 1 1. The upper end of this live lever is connected to a pull rod 15 connected with the brake actuating mechanism. Intermediate the ends of both the live and dead levers are struts 16 mounted on brake beams 17, which in turn carry brake shoe heads and shoes in the usual manner.

In order to insure predetermined piston travel of the brake actuating mechanism and maintain the shoes at a proper distance from the peripheries of the wheels there is provided slack adjusting mechanism as follows:

This mechanism comprises a plural part adjusting rod, one part 20 being pivotally connected at the point 21 to the point of connection between the live lever and its strut 16. The opposite end of this rod 21 is connected at the point 22 with another part or link 23 which in turn is pivotally connected at the point 24 to the part 11 of the'telescopio or extensible push rod. A. lost mo tion slot 25 is provided preferably at the point 22 in order to maintain proper brake shoe clearance.

Adjacent the point of connection 24: there is provided a friction clamp device such as illustrated in Fig. 3, for example. This comprises a stud or boss 24 preferably cast integral with the member 11 and provided at its outer end with a slot through which a cotter pin 26 may pass. Intermediate the cotter and the side of the link 23 is disposed a washer 27 while at the opposite side of the link and between it and the member 11 is disposed a second washer 28 and a volute spring 30, the-parts being so positioned and arranged as to maintain a desired frictional tension upon sides of the link 23.

It is of course to be understood that the telescopic push rod may be of any desired type adapted to permit progressive movement between the effective ends of the parts. Rectangular dogs 31 provided with central openings through which the rod 12 passes and normally held in canted position by means of spring 32 constitute a very desirable means for coacting between the effecplieation of the brakes.

tive ends of the parts 11 and 12 and maintaining the same in the position to which they were last moved because of the accuracy with which the slack may be taken up.

A release spring 33 coacts with the live lever let and strut 16 to maintain normal angular relation therebetween and restore the parts to normal position after each ap- This spring is of U-shaped construction having its upper ends connected by a transverse bolt bearing against the side of the live lever. The lower end engages the underside of the strut and the ends are coiled one or more times about the pivot pin 21.

This device operates in substantially the following manner:

On actuation of the brakes the upper end of the live lever 14: moves toward the left and reacts through the extensible push rod and dead lever 8 to cause a relative separation of the brake beams 17 and bring the brake shoes carried thereby into contact with the peripheries of the associated wheels. If excess travel of the brake rigging takes place, due to wear of the shoes, for example, exceeding the lost motion provided for by the slot 25, the relative angular position of the link 23 with respect to the axis of the extensible push rod will be changed in order to effectively apply the brakes. and the return of the parts to normal posi tion under the action of the release spring 33 acting adjacent the pivotal connection 21 of the live lever and associated strut, this point of support 21 will act as a fulcrum against which the adjusting rod 20 reacts to cause a pulling out of the extensible part 12 of the push rod with respect to its casing 11 when this false motion has taken place. The amount which the rod 12 is pulled out will correspondv exactly to the excess travel of the brake rigging.

In Fig. 2 there is shown substantially the same mechanism, so far as the brake rigging is concerned, only the adjusting device extends between the pivotal connection on the live and dead levers 35 and 36 respectively. This adjusting means comprises a rod 37 connecting the outer ends of two friction links 38, both of which are provided with volute; springs substantially the same as that above described and shown in Fig. at their point of connection with the brake beam struts 40. Now as the brakes are actuated the levers 35 and 36 operate in substantially the manner as above described and a separation of'the brake'beams 41 beyond a predetermined distance will cause a difference in the angular relation between the rod- 37 and its-two frictional supports or links 38. The friction with which these parts are provided cause them to act as fulciums on release of the braking power and On release of the braking power.

return of the levers to normal position and cause a relative expansion of the two parts of the telescopic push rod 42. A return spring 4:3 shown in Fig. t operates in a manner similar to that above described to cause a localized turning action to take place between the lever and strut and maintain or restore predetermined angular relation therebetween.

It is thus seen that the present invention is capable of various modifications in order to accomplish the. desired results. By constructing the adjusting rod in two parts having a normal angular relation an accurate taking. up of the. slack at each operation of the brakes is. obtained as this angle varies.

The invention is simple and practical in its construction, automatic and reliable in its operation, and may be readily applied to brake. rigging now in general use.

Nithout further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of this invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting certain features that, from the. standpoint of the. prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention, and therefore such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency of the followingv claims:

I claim:

1. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a live lever, an extensiblepush rod connected with said lever, and. a plural part adjusting rod associated with one of said members, the par-ts of said adjusting rod normally lying at an angle to each other-which angle is varied as the slack is taken up,

2. In a slack adjuster, in. combination, a livelever, a dead lever, an. extensible push rod connecting said levers, andia pluralpart adjusting rod intermediate one of, said levers and push rod, the parts of said ad:- justing rod; normally .lying at an angleto each other which angle is. varied as; the slack is taken up.

3. In a slack adjuster, in combination,a live lever, a push rod connected with said lever, and a plural part angularly disposed adjusting rodlhaving a connection with the live lever intermediate. its ends, and. a. frictionv take-up device associated, therewith at one end ofxone of'said parts.

4. In a slack-adjuster, in, combination, a live lever, an extensible push rod, av release spring for thelive lever, and a, plural part adjusting rod having pivotal; connection.

nected with said levers intermediate their ends, a release spring associated with the live lever and its adjacent strut, and a plural part adjusting rod connected with said lever at its point of connection with its strut.

6. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a liver lever, an extensible push rod connected with the lower end of said lever, a brake beam strut pivotally connected with said lever intermediate its ends, a release spring associated with the lever and its adjacent strut, a plural part adjusting rod connected with said lever at its point of connection with its strut, said adjusting rod comprising two parts normally occupying an angular relation with respect to each other, which angle is varied as wear of the part takes place.

7. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a live lever, a dead lever, an extensible push rod connected with said levers, brake beam struts pivotally connected with said levers, a release spring associated With the live lever, a plural part adjusting rod connected with said live lever at its point of connection with its strut, said adjusting rod comprising two parts normally occupying an angular relation with respect to each other, which angle is increased as wear of the part takes place, andmeans associated with said adjusting rod insuring brake shoe clearance.

8. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a lever, an extensible push rod connected therewith, a brake beam strut connected with said lever, a two-part adjusting rod between said lever and one of the parts of the push rod, said adjusting rod having a lost motion connection between its two parts, and a frictional connection between one of the parts and the part to which it is attached.

9. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a live lever, a dead lever, an extensible push rod connecting said levers, brake beam struts connected with said levers, a two part adjusting rod between one of said levers and one of the parts of said extensible push rod, said adjusting rod having a lost motion connection between its two parts, and a frictional connection between one of the parts and its point of connection with the extensible push rod.

10. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a lever, a push rod connected therewith, a brake beam strut associated with said lever, and an adjusting device for temporarily taking up the excess travel of the brake rigging, comprising two parts normally occupying an angular relation with respect to each other, and one of the parts having a frictional connection with the part with which it is secured at one end, and a lost motion connection at its other end.

11. In a slack adjuster, in combination, a lever, an extensible member connected to said lever adapted to take up and permanently hold the excess travel of the brake rigging, and a two-part adjusting rod connected with said lever provided with a lost motion connection between its parts and a frictional device for temporarily taking up and holding the excess travel.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 16th day of December A. D. 1915.

WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

